Non‑Lucrative Visa: Documents and Translations
The non-lucrative visa lets you live in Spain if you can support yourself without working there. Retirees, people on a sabbatical and families taking a year abroad use it most, and the application is built almost entirely from US documents.
Below we go through what the visa asks for, which papers need a Spanish translation and which can stay in English. The facts come from the Embassy of Spain in Washington, which applies the immigration rules in force since May 20, 2025. Each consulate publishes its own checklist, so read the one that covers your state too.
Who Can Apply
The visa is for people who will live in Spain without any gainful work and who have enough guaranteed means to support themselves. A spouse or partner and minor children can apply with you. For other dependents, check the Embassy’s current requirements before you apply.
No work means no work at all. The Washington embassy states that the visa is not a work permit and does not allow remote work for a US employer or clients either. If you plan to keep working online, look at the digital nomad visa instead.
How Much Money You Need
Spain sets the minimum at 400% of its income indicator, the IPREM, plus 100% for each family member who moves with you. For 2026, the Washington embassy puts the figures at $32,000 a year for the main applicant and $8,000 for each dependent (official figures: €28,800 and €7,200).
You prove the amount with bank statements for the last three months, a certificate from each bank and proof of any regular income, such as a pension or Social Security benefits. The income proof must show that payments will continue for at least 12 months.
The Main Documents
- The national visa application form and form EX 01, completed and signed.
- A passport valid for at least one year, with two blank visa pages.
- Proof that you live in the consulate's district, such as a driver's license or state ID.
- A notarized statement explaining why you are moving, committing not to work in Spain and giving an address in Spain for at least the first three months.
- Proof of financial means, covered in the previous section.
- Private health insurance from an insurer authorized in Spain, with full coverage and no copayments or deductibles.
- A medical certificate signed by a physician within 90 days of your application.
- An FBI background check, apostilled, for every applicant aged 18 and older.
- Birth and marriage certificates for family members applying with you.
Which Documents Need a Spanish Translation
The Washington embassy asks for an official translation into Spanish of these documents:
- The FBI background check. Its apostille needs no translation.
- The bank certificates and the proof of pension or other income. Our financial document translation page covers these.
- The health insurance policy, unless the insurer issues it in Spanish.
- The medical certificate, unless your doctor uses the embassy's bilingual template. For other health records, see medical record translation.
- The notarized statement, unless you write it in Spanish or bilingual form.
- Birth and marriage certificates for family members, after their apostille (see birth certificate translation).
Two documents can stay in English: your bank statements and your latest tax return. Leaving them out of the translation order saves you time and money.
How the Translation Must Be Done
The Washington embassy accepts a translation by a certified or sworn translator. Authorities inside Spain, where you will renew your residence, usually expect a traductor jurado, a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ask which form your consulate accepts before you order.
After the Visa Is Approved
The visa is valid for one year, and you must enter Spain within that time. Within one month of arriving, you apply for your foreigner identity card, the TIE, at a foreigners' office or police station. The first card is valid for one year and can be renewed.
The embassy gives itself three months to decide and says the process cannot be expedited, so start collecting documents well before your planned move.
How BeTranslated Can Help
Our Spanish translation team translates the US documents in a non-lucrative visa file: FBI checks, bank certificates, pension and Social Security letters, insurance policies, medical certificates and civil records. We can also arrange the apostille for the documents that need one.
When a Spanish authority asks for a traductor jurado, we work with translators appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tell us which consulate will receive your file, and we will prepare each translation in the form it accepts.
Send us your documents for a free translation quote. We reply with a price and delivery date within 12 hours.
Moving to Valencia?
If Valencia is where you are headed, our relocation partner ValenciaMove helps Americans with the rest of the move: visas, the NIE, finding a home and the paperwork after you arrive. Read their guide to moving to Valencia from the USA.
FAQs
Can I Work Remotely on a Non-Lucrative Visa?
No. The Embassy of Spain in Washington says the visa allows no work of any kind in Spain, remote work included. The digital nomad visa is the route for people who keep working online.
Do My Bank Statements Need to Be Translated?
Not at the Washington embassy. Bank statements and tax returns can stay in English, but the bank certificates and the proof of income need a Spanish translation.
Does Travel Insurance Count as Health Insurance?
No. The embassy asks for a full health insurance policy from an insurer authorized in Spain, valid for one year. Travel insurance and insurance cards are not accepted as proof.
How Recent Must the Medical Certificate Be?
The Washington embassy wants it issued within 90 days of your application, signed by a physician and showing the doctor's license number.
